You seem to be very well versed on the CA schools. We are from the east coast and will be visiting in April. Can you speak at all to the differences between University of San Diego and SDSU? Besides the obvious of private/public, cost and size?
Other than attending my nephews wedding at USD Chapel, I personally know very little about the campus vibe or academics.
-USD has a beautiful campus, a view of Mission Bay and a slightly better location than SDSU.
-Undergraduate numbers are under 6000 so a small student population.
-Catholic University
My younger son graduated from SDSU so I have more first hand experience with the campus.
Both campuses have the wonderful San Diego weather and there plenty of activities for students within and around the city but both are opposite in many ways.
-SDSU has around 30,000 undergraduates with a vibrant social vibe.
-Students are happy and active.
-Large class sizes for the required Freshman/Sophomore GE’s but upper division classes are usually under 50 students depending upon major.
-Academically challenging courses and approachable Professors
-Friendly and helpful/collaborative students
-Strong Alumni network
-San Diego Trolley station on campus which makes it easy for students with no cars to get around the city.
-Big town sports especially their Basketball team currently in the Sweet 16.
Although this discussion is comparing SDSU to UCR, you will see many posts on Why SDSU is a great option for the right student.
You might want to take a look at the Facebook parents page for both schools to get a feel for the campus culture. Since you are visiting, you can form your own opinion. ZeeMee might over better insights from the student’s prospective.
Also look over this post: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/t/weekend-student-life-at-lmu-usd-cal-poly-slo-or-sdsu/
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Thanks so much!
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I attended USD before attending San Diego State University.
Very big difference in everything. USD is beautiful and “small”. Their diplomas are recognized in the state. But they’re not really recognized by a lot of people. Also, it is a religious-based university so your son will have to do courses in religion.
He will get to know his professors on a personal level because the classes are smaller. I attended there because they have a very good law school and I thought I wanted to become an attorney.
I was limited on funds, so I couldn’t afford to use a car. In car country San Diego, you need a car/uber, unless you’re near the trolley. I imagine, that now, they have shuttles that go to Old Town, which is right down the hill, to access the Trolley system, but that gets to be a hassle. The area is hilly so biking would not have worked for me around the local neighborhood.
When I attended there, there were a lot of students from very exclusive families, in the LA area, with lots of money and lots of sports cars. I was later told that these were students that were the “B/C” students. I don’t think that’s currently true but, after going there, I think it was true from my experiences there. On the weekends everyone left. Hopefully that’s changed.
I transferred to SDSU because USD was just too expensive for me, as well as other factors, that influenced that decision. I had never taken any sort of religious courses, and a number of the students there already had at their high schools. I didn’t do well in those courses so I transferred.
The difference in accessibility to different majors, work opportunities, activity on the weekends at San Diego State, was a complete 360.
Yes, the classes were a big, initially, but the professors knew that, and kept us entertained. I had one professor who had a course scheduled from 2 to 4, and people would fall asleep in his auditorium. So, one day he brought in a huge bag of Snickers bars, without us knowing about it. When the students were peppered with questions, those who answered would be thrown a Snickers bar.
I waited outside of a lecture hall, one day and heard loud, continuous gut laughter. So I entered through a back door, and the professor had hired a hula dancer to explain ocean current patterns! Apparently, he had prepped this young lady very well.
There was a physics teacher that was teaching beginner’s Physics. He had “control” of the lighting in his class. And since the physics building was in a dark area of the school, he knew how to turn off and on the lights in his room to teach about “current” flow.
One of my professors there said, “Hey, every single one of your professors here, was in your seats many years ago, and we know that it can get to be boring as a student. We love being here and so should you.”
Not saying that they’re allowed to do that anymore, but the professors, that I had, LOVED what they were doing. I didn’t have any courses taught by graduate assistants except in the labs.
When you visit, note the community environment, down the street, and see the streets he’ll be walking off campus. Have fun visiting. It’s a fun city.
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I think the size and the student environment say it all. USD is located in paradise.
SDSU is paradise in regards to fun and action as maybe opposed to USD.
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Forgot to add, after you land, and have been visiting, stop by any Rubio’s (near either school) for fish tacos; ask for a “Pesky” taco. (Ralph Rubio is the SDSU Aztec who created his restaurant brand, after surfing with his Aztec buddies in San Felipe, Mexico).
Later, in the week, stop at any local 24-hour taco shop. Order the “California burrito”. You can share it because it is huge.
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Thank you all for this info. It’s great insight!
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